In today’s stress-filled world, many rely on meditation to get by. The number is on the increase, and even some world’s biggest stars swear by it. If meditation is something you’ve included in your lifestyle, you’ll agree it gives an edge mentally. But what if your meditation can be made better, elevated to a whole new level? What if integrating CBD and CBD-based products can help you meditate better?
In recent years, CBD has been in the news, and an increasing number of brands have included this compound to their products.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol or CBD is only one of the over 80 cannabinoids present in marijuana, a plant famous for its psychoactive effects. However, CBD does not get you high. The compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is responsible for the psychoactive effects associated with the plant.
In fact, several clinical studies are fast discovering CBD for what it really is – a compound offering multiple health benefits with no known severe adverse or psychoactive effects.
It is now commonly available as a supplement and contains only trace quantities of THC (less than 0.3% alongside other cannabinoids within the plant that offer anti-inflammatory effects and patented in recent years as a neuroprotectant)
This cannabinoid has also been found to enhance homeostasis and also found to be effective for a broad range of clinical cases such as multiple sclerosis, seizures, insomnia, anxiety, and PTSD.
Today, many meditation studios and experts are recommending CBD in meditation for its far-reaching benefits.
Cannabidiol and Our Endocannabinoid System
Before going further, we have to understand how CBD interacts with our bodies.
Our bodies comprise the endocannabinoid system- just like plants. Our bodies make cannabinoids, and as so, we’re naturally programmed to use CBD to ease many health conditions effectively. The human endocannabinoid system is easily activated by the plants’, and a good example of such plant cannabinoid is CBD.
When external cannabinoids like CBD stimulate these receptors (endocannabinoids), they bring a sense of balance to our bodies. In an unbalanced system or a poorly functioning one, cannabinoid receptors identify the cause and release specific enzymes that are required to restore balance.
When cannabidiol or any other cannabinoid is ingested in moderate amounts, our endocannabinoid systems are activated without the side effects common with most orthodox medications. Put simply, our body’s endocannabinoid system is the reason CBD works for many conditions.
CBD and Meditation
One of the goals of any meditation practice is increased self-awareness. For many, regular meditation is just what is needed to reduce stress, enhance focus/lengthen attention span, and boost emotional positivity.
Meditation has been shown to help control anxiety, generate kindness, and reduce age-related memory decline. This practice has also been shown to help decrease blood pressure, improve sleep, control pain, and help fight addictions.
Everyone can benefit from regular meditation sessions, and if you’re interested in the practice but unsure how to start, here’s a simple guide.
-Pick a quiet area. For most people, playing relaxing nature sounds helps.
–Lie on your back or sit straight.
-Take deep breaths and make sure you concentrate on each breath.
-Now, it’s normal for thoughts to pop up, acknowledge them as they come, and then return your focus to your breathing.
-Do this for ten or more minutes.
No matter how short your meditation sessions last, it can be beneficial. What you put into those minutes counts. Also, if you find your mind wandering while you meditate, especially in the first few sessions, realize that it is perfectly normal. Acknowledge these thoughts as they come and then focus right back on your breathing. By regularly practicing meditation, your awareness, concentration, and all related emotional response to stress will be significantly improved.
How CBD Can Enhance Meditation
As discussed above, meditation can and has been used to significantly lower stress and other emotional issues related to it. Combined with CBD, you have a fantastic combo at your disposal to fight these issues and take your meditation sessions to a whole new level.
This, in the long run, can have a considerable impact on your emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. By dedicatedly incorporating these two, you’ve armed yourself with the ultimate defense against stress.
How Does This Work for Meditation?
As you already know, our bodies contain their own endocannabinoid system, and CBD’s interaction and support of this system can help to regulate and enhance the mood. Regular CBD users report feeling calm and relaxed from their chaotic or scattered mood shortly after using CBD. This makes CBD a valuable tool to center the mind for a successful meditation session – a factor especially important for those new to meditation.
It is not uncommon for most newbie meditators to give up on the first few sessions after struggling to concentrate on their breaths or finding it challenging to stay in a particular position for an extended period.
CBD’s mind-centering and anti-inflammatory quality for enhancing joint mobility aspects come into play here.
The anti-inflammatory property of CBD is a common feature shared with mindfulness practices such as meditation. Studies have shown that CBD lessens the activity of the inflammation genes. Another area CBD may be beneficial when used in meditation is its neurogenesis-stimulating abilities (promoting new brain cell growth) in the hippocampus, an area of the brain connected with memory, learning, perspective-taking, and emotional regulation. Scientists believe this brain cell promoting activity is a significant factor in CBD’s anti-anxiety ability.
Research also shows that CBD can directly impact the body’s own cannabis-like mood-enhancing chemical, the endocannabinoid anandamide. According to these studies too, CBD triggers the 5-HT1a serotonin receptor, which is believed to play a role in its relaxing and anti-anxiety effect – all of which is essential for deeper meditation.
When you incorporate CBD into your meditation sessions, you may finally be on your way to overcoming stress, especially if you find it challenging to meditate deeply. Again, CBD may be particularly helpful if you’re new to meditation. With regular practice, you should be able to achieve a sense of inner peace and clarity, and in return, able to focus on the truly important things in your life.
So, if you’re like many others, tired of dealing with stress and unable to fully concentrate during meditation on your own, CBD might make all the difference. Gradually integrate this highly versatile compound into your life, and an anxiety-free, stress-free life may become nearer than you think.
Combining CBD and Meditation
To optimize CBD’s benefit during meditation, you’ll want to take it before you begin, so the cannabinoids are sufficiently absorbed. Note that different CBD products and specified consumption methods and the time they take to kick in can vary. The capsules, for example, have to go through the entire digestive system, and so may take up to an hour or even more to kick in.
Vaping and sublingual ingestion, on the other hand, is absorbed faster, and the effects kick in within minutes. There are other methods, just ensure you know how long your preferred method requires before you begin.
While CBD comes with little or known adverse effects for most people, it is advisable that you only use it in small doses if you’re new to the compound. With meditation, you should even be more mindful of your doses as it is a sleep aid and, as a result, may cause drowsiness. And of course, the last thing you want if you’re trying to meditate is taking something that could leave you sleeping during a session.
Overall, CBD has been shown to work just fine as a daily supplement to promote an overall balance and wellness. Because CBD interacts directly with our endocannabinoid system, it can make it better sensitive to stimulation and cause it to function optimally.
Also, the full-spectrum oil (highly recommended) packs vital nutrients, including essential minerals, protein, vitamins, flavonoids, and terpenes alongside other cannabinoids known to enhance overall wellbeing.
If you’ve finally decided to incorporate CBD into your meditation practice, do your research, know the methods that work for you, and in what quantity. Also, understand that without a solid foundation in meditation, every session might continuously seem like a struggle with or without CBD for additional support.
Educate yourself on the practice of meditation. You could start by looking at our articles on the subject; Without the right information, quitting may just be another failed session away.
Final Words
You made it this far! If you’ve integrated CBD into your meditation, we’d like to know how you’ve been able to overcome stress with this combo. Share with us in the comments! Are you considering taking your meditation to the next level with CBD but undecided? This may be a good time to start! However, you may want to consult a licensed dispenser for a dosage suitable for you before you begin.
